Stress management expert elizabeth anne scott is a wellness coach, author, and award winning blogger with training in counseling, family therapy, and health psychology. She is a diplomate at the american institute of stress, creates all content on about.com's stress management site. Find out more about 8 keys to stress management and sign up for one of her upcoming stress management webinars. You can also read more about elizabeth's current and past work on her google profile: elizabeth scott. Many students deal with stress in college which can be a significant factor in the dreaded 39 freshman 15 39. In fact, due partially to stress, a surprisingly high percentage of college freshmen don’t go on to graduate. What accounts for this stress? the following are common college stressors: not surprisingly, the workload of college is significantly more involved than the high school workload, and it comes with less hand holding from parents and teachers.

With challenging classes, scheduling issues to coordinate, difficult tests and other academic obstacles, coupled with the more independent nature of the college learning structure, many new and returning students find themselves studying long, hard hours. While college freshmen face the most obvious social challenges that usually involve leaving one’s entire support structure behind, creating a new social network, dealing with being away from home for the first time and finding less parental support, most students face social stress. Finding and living with a roommate, balancing friends with school work and often part time jobs , and dealing with the dynamics of young adult relationships can all be difficult, and these challenges can lead to significant stress. Many students keep crazy hours from staying up late to study, getting up early for classes, and trying to cram in all the work and fun that can possibly fit. Often the logistics of living more independently from laundry to car insurance can cause stress. New students deal with missing home and more seasoned students may wonder if they’re in the right major. Most students struggle with who they are and where they’d like to be, at least at some point in their college career.

What affect do these issues have on students? just as everyone deals with stress in a unique way, college students experience a range of consequences from stress, from mild to severe. Here are some of the common effects of stress: one of the most commonly felt consequences of college stress is a feeling of being overwhelmed. While trying to find a balance of how hard to work and play , many college students struggle with perfectionism or unhealthy habits like heavy drinking.

Partially because of stress and partially because of other social and practical issues faced by college students, many struggle with their weight. Many gain 10 20 pounds around their first year weight gain known as the freshman 15 , and others lose weight unintentionally, or struggle with eating disorders. You may be surprised to hear that roughly 50% of american students who enter college don’t end up graduating! according to u.s. Census figures, 6 in 10 high school seniors go on to college the following year, but only 29% of adults 25 and over had at least a bachelor’s degree. Certainly finances and life circumstances play into that figure, but the stress of college life cannot be ignored as a factor as well. Because of these factors and because college is supposed to be enjoyed, not endured it’s important to keep college stress under control. This article on college life stress relief can provide you with resources to keep these years more relaxed, productive and just plain fun.

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Sometimes parents, faculty and others tend to idealize their college experience and remember it as that idyllic time when they had few worries or responsibilities. To students currently attending college, however, the process is often stressful and frustrating. The competition for grades, the need to perform, relationships, fear of aids, career choice, and many other aspects of the college environment cause stress. Before condemning stress outright, we need to understand that stress is only harmful when it is excessive. The challenges of life tend to be stressful and an attempt to avoid stress completely would lead to a rather boring existence.

Although some stress reactions are part of deeper and more serious emotional problems, many are not, and can be handled with relatively simple counseling and stress management techniques. You can use the following guidelines to help manage your stress:

understand your role in stress reactions develop a balanced life style and effective personal organization learn specific relaxation techniques gain perspective on problems by discussing them, and clarify your values and develop a sense of spirituality

the environment

physiological

social stressors

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Perhaps you experience some of the examples below when your stress levels are elevated. Muscular tension colds or other illnesses high blood pressure indigestion ulcers difficulty sleeping fatigue headaches backaches depression anger fear or anxiety feeling overwhelmed mood swings forgetfulness unwanted or repetitive thoughts difficulty concentrating stress reactions to various situations are also affected by your overall level of health. Someone who is always feeling overwhelmed, eats poorly, and doesn't get enough sleep a description of many students usually has a limited ability to cope with stressful events. The right balance of sleep, food, exercise, work, school, and recreation is crucial.

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They find themselves rushing and hurrying from one activity to another, always racing with the clock and never getting on top of things. It is easy to get caught up in a problem or a narrow view of something you are doing, and to lose perspective and feel that a failure or roadblock is a catastrophe. Discussing your problems with a trusted, empathic friend can allow you to gain new perspective and can allow you to move out of what might seem like an isolated and negative internal world.